Today's News

Julie Graham
For The Lancaster News
“Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” is hitting the Lancaster stage with plenty of sizzle and family drama beginning May 4.
Elaine Roberts of Sun City Carolina Lakes is directing the Community Playhouse of Lancaster County production of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Tennessee Williams. Roberts owned a production company before moving to South Carolina. This is her directorial debut in Lancaster.

From release
The National Association of Letter Carriers will hold its annual food drive Saturday, May 12. Lancaster postal employees will again help Stamp Out Hunger! Across America with your help.
Now in its 20th year, the Stamp Out Hunger! Effort is the nation’s largest single-day food drive. Last year, letter carriers collected a record 70.2 million pounds of food from postal customers across the nation.
A total of 1.1 billion pounds of food have been collected along postal routes since the drive began 20 years ago.

Michele Roberts
For The Lancaster News
The Army National Guard’s 178th Combat Engineer Battalion is getting ready for an upcoming deployment to Afghanistan, and will report to active duty May 14.
The unit is comprised of about 160 soldiers based at the Rock Hill armory. About 10 of those soldiers are from Lancaster.
Spc. Michael Boone is among the Lancaster soldiers going on the nine-month deployment. Boone said he is looking forward to what will be his second trip to the region.

Robert Howeyrhowey@thelancasternews.com
Fast-starting Andrew Jackson blanked Eau Claire of Columbia, 13-0 to open the Class AA Upper State District IV baseball playoffs on Thursday at the Volunteers’ field.
Dustin Eddins went five frames to notch the win. The right-hander allowed a hit and fanned seven EC batters. He allowed two walks and hit two batters.
AJ tallied six in the first frame and added three in the second, three in the third and a single run in the fourth.
AJ senior Bobby Delly had three hits and drove in two runs.

Staff Reports
One hit was enough for the Lancaster Lady Bruins in their Class AAAA Upper State District I softball tournament opener Thursday.
LHS sophomore Elizabeth Gaston slammed a solo home run in the fourth inning and the Lady Bruins made it stand in a 1-0 playoff home win over Laurens.
Gaston’s blast was the lone LHS hit in the win.
Senior hurler Erin Walker worked seven innings and faced 25 batters and posted six strikeouts. She allowed a double and a walk.

Staff Reports
The Lancaster Lady Bruins rallied from a 2-1 deficit to notch a 3-2 win over Rock Hill High School to even their Region III-AAAA soccer mark at 5-5.
The LHS girls, 13-5 overall, had one goal each from Tyson Blanton, Frances Whitesides and Lauren White.
Ashley Cauthen assisted Blanton and Flo Tarque assisted Whitesides on her goal.

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month.
In 2011, S.C. Department of Social Services (SCDSS) officials report that the agency investigated 17,514 cases of abuse or neglect throughout the state. Of that number, 6,810 cases indicated some form of abuse.
Lancaster County investigated 423 cases of abuse or neglect, and, of that number, 152 cases indicated some form of abuse.

This past year has been an important reminder to all of us that severe weather can strike anytime and anyplace. This week, April 22-28, commemorates the one-year anniversary of the devastating tornado outbreak in the Central and Southern states.
In the South, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky and North Carolina were tragically affected. Already this year the country has experienced deadly severe weather from the West to the East Coast.